A plan that would provide free fruit to schoolchildren across Europe has been temporarily stalled because of concerns about the proposed programme's €100 million annual cost.
The proposal is part of EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel's ongoing initiative to improve children's nutrition across the Continent and particularly in countries such as Ireland that fall well below EU guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake. Ireland, Britain and Sweden are the lowest consumers of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis, with most people falling well below the EU recommended 14 ounces per day.
A study commissioned earlier this year by the Food Safety Promotion Board found that half of all Irish households bought large amounts of food high in fat and sugar and few fruits and vegetables, with buyers citing cost, time and availability as reasons for their decisions.
According to dietitian Siobhan Sinnott of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI), adults and children should aim for five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, with a portion constituting a medium-sized piece of fruit, glass of pure, unsweetened fruit juice, small bowl of homemade vegetable soup or a small dish of chopped raw or cooked vegetables.
"There are many reasons why people don't always choose the healthier option - sometimes people find that convenience may be a reason.
"But fruit can be easy to grab as a snack, even in convenience stores and petrol stations," she said.
Increasingly, attention has turned towards children's eating habits and associated growing childhood obesity rates. The 2005 National Children's Food Survey found that fruit and vegetable consumption among Irish children was generally low and that 60 per cent were not getting enough fibre or vitamins A and C.
Though several successful school nutrition initiatives, including the "Food Dudes" programme that provides fruit and vegetables to schools largely in economically disadvantaged areas, exist in Ireland, the State does not yet have a comprehensive fruit and vegetable distribution plan in schools. As a result, Sinnott says parents should be proactive in teaching their children good nutrition habits and in providing healthy snack alternatives.
"In the survey, we asked parents about the barriers to providing their children with a healthy diet and 80 per cent cited their child's likes or dislikes, so we need to encourage and entice children to eat more fruit and vegetables."
"Healthy food habits developed in childhood last a lifetime," she said.